“Out of tragedy has come great opportunity to work together and support each other to support Long Islanders. Today is a culmination of a partnership that has really been in place since Sandy took place three years ago,” says Gwen O’Shea, from the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. “We are really proud to stand here today with the United Way of Long Island, their youth build program, their vets program, the American Red Cross, along with the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre.”

O’Shea says when a disaster happens there isn’t one organization that can address all of the complexities that a family may be facing. She says it takes the expertise and the resources of a cross-section of organizations to help families navigate and put their lives back together.

O’Shea says they are still currently assisting 3,500 Long Island residents who suffered damage from Sandy.

Homeowner Mardardo Sosa, who had just lost his job because of blindness caused by a health issue, was unable to tackle the immense job of rebuilding after Sandy. His Freeport neighborhood was flooded by 6 feet of water in the storm's aftermath.